By Izunna Okafor, Awka
It was a flood like never before along the Ogidi/Umunnachi axis of the Awka—Onitsha Old Road in Anambra State on over the week as major parts of the road got submerged by water.
This resulted following a heavy downpour that badgered in the morning, noon and evening hours of Tuesday, as well as the blockage of some major drainage channels on both sides of the ever-busy road.
This reporter, Izunna Okafor, who witnessed the submergence, observed that the flood, which was about 3-feet deep or more, started from the Junction of the Ebenezer Secondary School, Ogidi, with a stretch of about 200 meters long.
It was further observed that many vehicles, including commercial and private, were stuck in the pool of the flood, as water infiltrated their engines, resulting in their immediate blink off and being trapped in the pool of the flood. This led to the occupants of the unlucky/trapped vehicles having no other option but to alight unto the roaring dirty flood and help rescue the vehicle.
Some area boys were also seen at the scene, leveraging and taking advantage of the situation to make some cool cash by assisting any driver who sought their services to push out stuck vehicles to the dry land.
Although, few lucky drivers succeeded in maneuvering and driving past the flood, many others got trapped down in the pool of the flood, including some motorcyclists; even as some others who could not dare the adventure turned/diverted early, and plied alternate routes, after seeing/hearing of others’ ordeals.
The situation also favoured some nearby mechanics in the area, as many trapped-but-rescued vehicles that developed serious issues as a result of the flood queued up along the various mechanic workshops in wait of their turns to be serviced or repaired.
This got many of the commuters and travellers stranded, especially those who still had far distances ahead to get to their destinations at such late hours of the day.
Many of the stranded passengers, who could not wait further after exhausting their patience, resorted to paying the drivers some negotiable parts of the initially agreed amount and boarding different vehicles to complete their journeys.
Although, these commuters would still have to trek some meters further from the place before seeing vehicles that still had spaces to accommodate additional passengers and the ones coming out from the alternative routes. This was because the situation immediately resulted in the scarcity of and the high demand for commercial vehicles in the area at that moment, which also led to an instant uprise in the cost of transportation to any location along that road at the moment, to the tune of almost 100% increase from the usual amount being charged prior to the flooding.
Some denizens of the area, who spoke with this reporter, lamented that the situation had become a regular phenomenon, especially during the rainy seasons, to the extent that the flood also extends to, infiltrates, and destroys things in many households and farmlands within the neighbourhood on a regular basis.
About Author
